


The Metaphysics Of Catnaps

by waterofthemoon



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, College, Humor, M/M, One Shot, Romance, Schmoop, Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-20
Updated: 2009-09-20
Packaged: 2017-10-09 01:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/81559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterofthemoon/pseuds/waterofthemoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College AU. Jared + night shifts + early classes + Jensen = awkwardness. And later, schmoop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Metaphysics Of Catnaps

**Author's Note:**

  * For [longsufferingly](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=longsufferingly).



> Written for a prompt [**poor_choices**](http://poor-choices.livejournal.com/profile) gave me and originally posted [here](http://longsufferingly.livejournal.com/60125.html?thread=3342045#t3342045). I kind of forgot I could do this writing thing! Thanks to [**sophie_448**](http://sophie-448.livejournal.com/profile) for the quick beta and her and [**clex_monkie89**](http://clex-monkie89.livejournal.com/profile) for the cheerleading. :D

It starts slowly.

"Hey." Jensen looks up and up until he locks eyes with this gorgeous dude in a soft-looking hoodie. "This seat taken?" the guy asks him, indicating the empty seat next to Jensen's. The room is lecture hall-style, with long tabletops in rows and chairs attached behind them, and even though it's only half full, this guy wants to sit next to _him_.

Jensen swallows. "Nope," he manages. "All yours."

"Cool." The guy dumps his messenger bag on the floor and throws himself into the chair. "I'm Jared. You majoring in this shit or just taking it for general ed?"

"Jensen." Jensen offers his hand automatically. When Jared shakes it, his hand dry and warm, Jensen tries not to get too excited at the tiny spark of electricity. Odds are, Jared's probably straight. "Just general ed. Graduating this year, and apparently, I neglected to take my very important philosophy credits, so here I am."

Jared laughs. "What are you talking about, man? I can't wait to get into all that... existentialism and... aliens and shit." He shakes his head. "Nah, I'm in the same boat. Just started last semester, trying to get my classes out of the way early."

"Smart move," Jensen says. Then the professor comes in and starts passing out syllabi, and Jensen tries to ignore Jared for the rest of the hour. He is so fucked.

*

It's a couple of weeks before things start getting weird. Jensen's really hitting it off with Jared—he's smart and surprisingly insightful for a freshman, especially given the new heights of bullshit they have to put up with in Intro to Philosophy, and he's got a wicked sense of humor, and Jensen really needs to not watch Jared take notes because then he misses shit and it's just not good. For anyone involved, actually.

But one Friday morning, Jared comes in looking exhausted and flops down next to Jensen. "So tired," he mumbles. He tries to swipe Jensen's coffee, but Jensen pulls it back.

"Jesus Christ," Jensen says when Jared gives him sad eyes. "Here." He passes over his latte. "You can buy me another when class is over."

"Thanks," Jared says pitifully. He takes a gulp and eyes Jensen. "Why am I awake?"

"Um, class?" Jensen suggests, even though he's not convinced this class is worth waking up for.

Jared nods. "Right. Class. And shit." He yawns widely. "Sorry, just—worked late last night. You know."

Jensen doesn't actually know, but he can sympathize with late nights and early mornings. "It's cool, man," he tells Jared as class starts. "Don't worry about it. This class is, like, ninety percent making shit up anyway." A girl sitting in front of them turns around and glares at them, but Jensen ignores her.

About fifteen minutes into class, he notices Jared's eyes getting heavy and his breath evening out, and he's not exactly surprised. But instead of falling asleep on his notebook or slouched over in his chair, like Jensen expects, Jared leans his head on Jensen's shoulder and burrows in. Jensen thinks he would normally be annoyed at the invasion of his personal bubble, but it's just really _cute_, even if he has a hard time writing notes without dislodging Jared.

It's not the worst day in the world.

At the end of class, Jared starts awake and stares, wide-eyed, at Jensen. "Whoa. Sorry, man, you should've woken me up. I really didn't mean to... you know."

"Jared—"

But Jared's already standing up and stuffing his books back into his bag. "Have a good weekend, okay?"

Jensen faceplants on the table after Jared leaves in a whirlwind. "Yeah. Sure," he mumbles against its smooth white surface.

*

The sleeping isn't a one time thing that Jensen can pass off as an accident.

Jensen's not sure why Jared comes to class, since he falls asleep half the time, usually on Jensen. Jared explained it to him one day after class, flushing pink. "Look, I know it's weird, but I get really cuddly when I sleep next to someone, okay? And I work late shifts, so I don't sleep enough at home, and I don't even _fit_ in that tiny fucking bed, and just—I can switch seats if it makes you uncomfortable or whatever."

Jensen thinks about Jared slumping over uncomfortably on the desk or, inexplicably worse, on someone else's borrowed shoulder, and he feels something clench inside him.

"Nah," he makes himself say. "I can't inflict you on someone else, man, that wouldn't be right." Jared lets out a laugh, and Jensen continues, feeling bold. "Besides, it's kind of cute. You're like my five-year-old nephew or maybe a puppy."

That breaks the tension, and Jared claps his hand on Jensen's back. "You're a good friend, Jensen," he says, and Jensen can tell he means it. He just wishes the knowledge didn't sting so much.

*

_you have glitter in your hair_, Jensen scribbles in the margins of Jared's notes a week later.

Jared brushes at his head, but the glitter's still there, and now his hair is adorably messed up. _still?_ he writes back.

Jensen nods, and Jared sighs and puts his head down on the lecture hall table. _I hate my job_, Jared scrawls, half illegible. _who would think working in a fucking gay bar would be so stressful?_

Jensen almost spits out his coffee. _really. a gay bar?_

_don't worry_, Jared writes. _I'm only half gay. so I probably won't molest you in the middle of... whatever the fuck we're talking about._

There's a long pause as Jensen debates with himself. _it's cool. I like dudes too_, he finally admits.

A good two or three minutes pass by, and Jensen thinks he's somehow gone too far before he sees Jared writing something and sliding the notebook over to him.

_wanna go out sometime? I promise I won't make you go to my work. :)_

Jensen smiles.

*

A month later, things are pretty much the same, except now Jensen gets to walk to philosophy with his _boyfriend_ and ply him with Red Bull and promises of sexual favors to keep him awake. It would really suck if his boyfriend failed a class his freshman year just because Jensen thought him snuffling through lectures was criminally adorable.

_Boyfriend._ Jensen's had a few others before Jared, but somehow, none of those guys made him want to shout the word from the rooftops like Jared does. Jensen's graduating at the end of this semester, and he wants things—wants to stay in town, move Jared into his place next year if things are still going well, maybe get a dog. Dallas is a big city, after all. He doesn't want to misplace Jared somewhere.

From the fond, annoyed smile Jared gives him when Jensen pokes him awake during class, Jensen thinks maybe Jared wants him to stick around, too.


End file.
